The present invention relates to a method and system for sterile packaging of beverages. More specifically, the invention relates to a beverage packaging system and method for filling sterile beverages in plastic containers while forming the container in a sterile environment.
At present, plastic containers such as PET bottles are widely used as the containers for packaging beverages such as coffee drinks, teas, colas or juices. When a beverage is filled in these plastic containers, such beverages are sterilized in accordance with a UHT (ultra high temperature) sterilization treatment or the like and then, are filled in the sterilized plastic container, and the containers are sealed with sterilized caps.
Hitherto, plastic containers have been produced in separate bottle manufacturing plants and beverages have been filled in plastic containers in separate filling plants (bottlers) different from the bottle manufacturing plant. Accordingly, plastic containers are usually exposed to the open air from the time when these containers have been produced in any bottle manufacturing plant until the time when they have been transported to any filling plant, where the beverages have been filled. Thus, it was necessary to treat the plastic containers for sterilization after container manufacture and prior to filling the beverage in the plastic container.
Known methods for sterilizing plastic containers utilize hydrogen peroxide or an aqueous mixture of hydrogen peroxide. In case of the sterilization with hydrogen peroxide it is necessary to minimize residual amounts of hydrogen peroxide in the plastic containers. This involves technical problems and long periods of time must be taken for washing after sterilization.